The great migration is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and millions of wildebeest cross to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration.
This massive crossing can be witnessed best in the morning at around 0900 hrs to 1100 hrs and sometimes in the afternoon at 1500 hrs to 1600 hrs. They crisscross the Mara ecosystem in their entire stay in Kenya at different times in huge herds. The game of survival of the fittest is fascinating as the Crocodiles, Hippo’s; Lions among other predators dramatically prey on Wildebeest’s and Zebra’s. They travel through large distance very quickly for they are on the run always and this ensures that they get the pasture to devour on, the crossing is perfectly witnessed from Mara River as they cross over to Masai Mara.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve in Narok County, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Mara Region, Tanzania. It is named in honor of the Maasai people (the ancestral inhabitants of the area) and their description of the area when looked at from afar: “Mara,” which is Maa (Maasai language) for “spotted,” an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that mark the area.
The “Big Five” (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and Black Rhinoceros) are found in the Masai Mara. The plains between the Mara River and the Esoit Siria Escarpment, where Mara Siria Tented Camp is strategically located grants the best view of the migration escapade. As in the Serengeti, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitants of the Maasai Mara. Each year, these ungainly animals migrate north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving approximately 1,500,000 Wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson’s gazelles, 97,000 Topi, 18,000 Elands, and 200,000 Zebras. Come witness the great migration and see why it is the 7th wonder of the world!
